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The trick to getting out was to combine timing with a riptide ride. If you picked your moment well, you only had to deal with two or three broken waves. T'was me, Tomas, Joe, Jeff, and Christian at Ponquogue (I think Christian was there. Can't be sure. Sometimes when the Peconic Puffin says Christian was at a session, he wasn't. We've thought about making corrections but haven't reached a decision yet. Christian wasn't at last week's Sebonac sesh, for example. But we say he was. Good fun!)
Anyhow once one got to the outside Saturday there were big waves to be had. I'd like to say a few were eight feet ("that one was big as a house!" Jeff said of a biggie we had to paddle out like mad to avoid being crushed.) I'd like to say it, but maybe they were just burly sevens. The good news at Ponquogue these days is there are breaks all over the place, so we had good spacing betwixt us and the surfers.
I haven't caught a seven foot wave in a few years. For me that's a big drop. Or as Tomas would say, "WOOOHOOO!" More days like Saturday please.
(Photos by Jeff Schultz. It really was fun once we got to the other side of this mess!)
Consider the line in the sand. Such was the wind direction offshore last Friday, as determined by I don't know who (someone will comment soon). I hadn't yet arrived, but Frank and Scott felt it was too offshore (Frank said in the parking lot it was dead offshore btw.) This over the protestations of Jeff, who had an excellent side off session last fall which seemed to point to a new day of side off wavesailing in Greater Puffindom. Meanwhile up island at Gilgo, George Pav, Jon Sassone and company caught a fine wave sesh that left Peconic Jeff wishing he was Side-Off Jeff.
What's it to be, Men (and Jan) of Wind and Water? I think we've got to give this angle more chances. Yes we've got wind shadows and tricky swirling on the inside, but if we've got a SUP board or two on hand someone can always paddle out and rescue, no?
It's the second time this has happened...sailing at Sebonac "anyway" (anyway because the tide is wrong...it's mid to high tide so the sand bars won't send up lovely ramps...there will be no swell towards the point) but once out on the water all was glorious. Saturday with Christian, Tomas, Joe Natalie & Mrs. N, Peconic Jeff, Scott, Frank and moi all there for the WNW. Jan had arrived first, but left when the winds looked too light (it was 5.8ish but scheduled to build). I rigged first...a 5.5...but before I had the boom on the wind had come up and looked 4.7 or stronger! Scott harassed me...why don't I rerig...but I had done all the work so I put the wing on my 77 FSW to see if (and how badly) I'd be overpowered.
The first run I was lit but had a good time. The second run I had to do everything I could not to tail walk. Rig the 4.5!
About the ramps...you couldn't see them setting up from the launch, but once out there you found them. Not as consistent as at low tide, but nicely shaped. And down towards Cow Neck the waves were rolling. Yeah Sebonac!
A lovely sunny day, eight of us on the water. I blew a jibe out by the bluff, and suddenly was having the darndest time waterstarting. I couldn't clear the sail. After 20 seconds of frustration I caught a glimpse westward and saw that everyone was either gagging or waterstarting themselves...the wind dropped from 20-whatever "to three!" according to Scott. Oy. I finally got back on the board, but slogging the 77 in 3-7 was No Fun. After five minutes it built to almost planable. Back on shore we watched the wind come up again some, but I decided to call it a day and get husband points.
(Top: Tomas and Scott on the inside...photo by Jeff. Middle: Scott offers the editor some gear to rig down. Photo by the author. Bottom: Jeff comes in to take a break. Photo by a passerby.)
It was cold on the beach. "Wind chill" said Scott, but I thought it was the humidity. "What works is a long hood that covers your neck," Scott continued, showing me his, which is attached to his wetsuit. Mine doesn't come more than halfway down my neck. Must go shopping...I imagine a hood/shirt combo.
Jeff, the Wolf, George Pav, Scott, a seal and I hit Ponquogue (ESE 18-20, 3-4 foot waves) on everything from 5.3's to my 6.2 (the seal did not rig). The shore break wasn't particularly strong but it came all the way to the sand, so you had to carry your board over white water and get on fast while you still had water beneath your fin. This the Wolf would not do. And so Lord vanderWolf got worked, trying to time the perfect moment (which he did once, took a nice ride out and caught a fine wave back in. Once.) After an hour of abuse, finding himself a few hundred yards down the beach having had to chase his gear, he called it a day.
I myself had issues with arm strength...the lack of. Too little windsurfing over the winter made sailing unhooked a bear, and I had to come in to the beach a lot. Still was having a good time until I heard Scott say something about "it's time for 5.2" when it occurred to me that I was tired from carrying too much sail. Doh! With sand blowing down the beach all the 4WD guys rerigged on the spot. I had to hike to the parking lot, and by the time the 6.2 was down I was chilled to the bone, and so went girlyman, calling it a day as the Wolf drove by. My old 5.5 isn't waveworthy anyway...must go shopping.
Jeff had a waveworthy sail. But in his words he took one wave too many. How fixable is it? We await word. He may need to join me shopping!
All photos and video by Jeff Schultz. Scott goes back side, I contemplate a large seal, Jeff's sail, and Jeff's compilation video of the day.
The festival so nice they're going to throw it twice! The seventh annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival will be a twofer, with events on Long Island and Cape Cod. Save the dates:
Long Island: June 14-15 @ Joe's Beach, Heckscher State Park
Cape Cod: We don't know yet, but keep it in mind.
Casual racing, casual freestyle, serious freestyle, SUP racing, goofing around, fun. No wind minimums! Maximum fun.
Here's a link to the official East Coast Windsurfing Festival web site. It doesn't have any information just yet about 2014, but it will!
(ECWF photo by Bill Doutney)
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